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Thursday, October 11, 2012

Spotlight: Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade** Winner of 2011 Forward National Literature Award**My apologies for not posting this sooner! This was due a few days ago, but here you are. This is definitely worth checking out.

Book Description: 49% of Americans believe their
government officials are honest. I don't know these officials, or
their supporters, but I know their secrets, and 49% of Americans are
wrong.

My employers pay me well to be
right, to know things others can't. But I don't know why they brought that
boy in, strapped to a stretcher, barely conscious. He asked me for help
when I could give none.

I'm a wealthy spy, a talented
artist, a martial arts black belt, and a prisoner. They tell me that on my
eighteenth birthday, I will be released, free to go to the college of my
dreams. It's my eighteenth birthday, and a man in black is at my
door. I know he's not here to free me.

I know, because I can read minds.

My name is Sam, and this is my story.

So begins the tale of Sam
and Drake--from the time they link minds, forging a bond that leads to
an unconventional romance--to their fight for survival against the
corrupt, twisted organization known as 'Rent-A-Kid.'

An Excerpt:

"The
door to the studio hung open just a crack, and angry screams assaulted us as we
approached. Luke and

Lucy
looked to me as if I knew what was going on. I shrugged my shoulders in the
universal I've-got-no-freaking-idea way and crept to the door. I could have
just

slipped
into their minds, but listening to people talk both out load and mentally was
hard to track and gave me a pretty big headache. At that moment, what they were
saying, or rather screaming, to each other was more interesting.

We
didn't want to budge the door and draw attention to ourselves, so Luke pushed
his head through. He bobbed in and out so quickly I almost missed it. Being
able to walk through anything was mighty handy at times.

I
nudged him. "Well?" "Higgins and Mr. K. They both look pretty
pissed." They sounded it too. I'd never heard Headmaster Higgins yell at
any of the teachers, or students for that matter.

He
wasn't a pushover by any stretch, but he'd always been levelheaded—until
today. Higgins shouted at Mr. K. "How could you enter her without
permission from me? Do you realize what you've

done?
This could ruin the school and everything we're doing here."

Was Higgins talking about me?

Mr.
K replied with the same volume and anger. I could imagine the vein over his
left eye bulging. "You have no idea how talented that girl is! She should
be at the best art school in the world, not hidden here like a freak of nature.
It's my job to make sure she has a future when she leaves this god-awful place,
and I'm not letting you, or the people you work for, stand in my way. Or
hers."

They
must have been talking about me, but it made no sense. Why didn't Higgins want
me entering the contest, and why did Mr. K hate this place so much?

"Don't
you mean, the people we work for? They employ us both, and you'd do well
to remember that, Mr. Krevner. Their reach extends beyond the gates of this
school."

I
couldn't believe it. Was the headmaster actually threatening my art teacher?
What was going on?

"You
will pull her from that competition and clean up the mess you've made, or your
days here are numbered. Am I making myself clear?"

Something
crashed into a wall, and my friends and I jumped back in surprise.

"Everything
is very clear. You use her and her gifts, rent her and all these kids out to
the highest bidder as spies. You make billions on these Rent-A-Kids, as they
call themselves. And now you want to snuff her chance to shine doing what she
truly loves? No. If you want to destroy her dreams, you can do it yourself. I'll
have no part in it."

Footsteps
approached the door. I tripped back, grabbed Luke and Lucy, and the three of us
ducked around the corner of the building. I peeked out just as Mr. K stormed
from the studio, his face bright red and contorted in anger. Not his best look.

Headmaster
Higgins followed him out moments later. He adjusted his navy blue suit and
plastered a calm mask over his face. His midnight black skin did not reveal his
recent spike in blood pressure the same way that Mr. K's pasty complexion had,
but the tight way he held his shoulders and the fists he made of his hands
spoke to his anger.

Tears
stung my eyes, and I swiped at them with the back of a hand still stained with
splashes of paint. If they pulled me from the contest, hundreds of hours of
hard work would be wasted, and my future would get flushed down the toilet.
That couldn't happen!

When
both men were gone, the three of us snuck into the studio and closed the door
behind us. My enthusiasm had drained out of me like dirty bathtub water. I
sniffled and wiped my traitorous eyes again.

Lucy
put her arm around me. "Cheer up, Chica. We'll figure this out, I promise.
They can't keep you from this, not after all the hard work you've done. And
you'll be leaving for New York soon. Luke and I will join you there, and we'll
make all of our dreams come true, just watch!"

I
tried to smile, for her sake, but the smile didn't reach my eyes. Luke rubbed
my head as if I were his pet dog. "Where's this painting I've been hearing
so little about?" I swatted his hand and couldn't suppress a small, but
genuine, smile. Luke could always cheer me: funny,

gorgeous,
and so much like a brother it sucked. "Over here." The canvas draped
over my painting appeared undisturbed. A sigh of relief escaped me. At least

nothing
had happened to it. "Close your eyes." They both groaned but did as
told. Fear and nervousness buzzed through me as I pulled the canvas off. What
if they hated it? What if everyone

hated
it and my dreams of being a real artist died before they could even be born? My
lungs clenched with stale breath and I exhaled before I got too dizzy.
"Okay, you can look."

They
stood there, jaws dropped, stunned into silence. They either hated it or
totally loved it. "Um, is this a bad or good silence?" Lucy pulled
her mouth closed and swallowed before she spoke. "O.M.G. Sam, this is the
most incredible,

unbelievable
thing I've ever seen in my life. You painted this?" "You like
it?"

Her
mental voice slammed into me. 'Would I lie to you? It's amazing!'

Relief
flooded me even as I laughed at her joke. I could read minds, sure, but she was
the human lie detector. No one dared lie to her.

Luke
hugged me and whispered into my ear, "I'm so proud of you, Sam. This is
truly epic!"

We
stood there staring for several minutes. This painting represented so much
about me, my life, my future... everything. I hated to leave it even for a
minute, but my stomach protested its neglect with a loud rumble.

Luke
grabbed my hand. "Come on, let's feed you. My treat."

With
the buzz of success filling me, and Luke's hand in mind, I entertained a
what-if. What if I could get past the whole brother thing with Luke? I took in
his tall, well-defined frame, his dark hair and bright blue eyes. Gorgeous
inside and out, but... nothing. No spark at all. Such a pity. Of all the guys
at school, he was the only one I could even imagine being with, but I couldn't
force the chemistry and neither could he.

We
walked to dinner hand in hand, and I consoled myself with the fact that I had
the best friends a girl could want. Not a bad consolation prize after all, and
worth a hundred boyfriends."

Meet the author:

NOTE: my married name is Karpov-Kinrade, but my books are published
as just Kinrade

Kimberly Kinrade was born with ink in her
veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for
children, YA and adults and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA
paranormal novels Forbidden Mind and Forbidden Fire and
her illustrated children's fantasy chapter books Lexie World, and Bella
World, all on Amazon.

She lives with her three little girls who
think they're ninja princesses with super powers, her two dogs who think
they're humans and her husband, also known as the sexy Russian Prince, who is
the love of her life and writing partner.